Mail-bag catcher



(No Model.) 2 SheetsS heet.1.

J. W. ROCHFORD.

q MAIL BAG GATCHER. No. 248,058. Patented Oct. 11,1881.

13 5 5 v I\\ I N. PETERS. Phulmliihograplmr. Washingum. ac.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

JQW. ROOHFORD.

MAIL BAG OATGHER- N. PETERS. min-WW Imam, Dv c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. ROOHFORD, OF WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,058, dated. October 11, 1881.

Application filed April 25, 1881.

provide an attachment to each of the arms of the crane effective to hold the bag or package.

till taken by the passing railway-car, and, second, to protect the means thus employed frominjury occasioned by the downward fall of the arms of the crane after the bag or package is detached.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a view showing the application of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the three figures.

A. represents the finger or attachment.

B represents an elliptical spring attached to the end of the finger.

b b are the guards which protect the spring- B, and also act as heads to the bolts which connect the spring to the finger.

a is the end of the finger, which is attached to the arm of the crane so as to move in a vertical or lateral manner.

G and D represent the arms of the crane; E, the staples by which the fingers are pivoted to the arms.

The finger attached to the top arm of the craneis placed with spring on upper side, While the finger attached to the lower arm is placed so as to have the spring on the under side of the finger, as seen in Fig. 3.

(No model.)

It will be noticed that the end of the finger is almost tubular, carefully curved, and the edges of the finger rounded so as to facilitate the passage of the rings of the mailbag off the catch. The spring 13 prevents the ring of the mail-bag from slipping from the finger till taken by the car.

In the use of the crane represented in Fig. 3 it has been, found out that the fingers fall with such violence against the post of the crane that the spring attached to the same is soon demolished and rendered useless. To obviate this and protect the spring I have placed the guards b b on the finger. It will be noticed that the guards b b are a little higher than the highest point in the spring B, so that when the finger fails it strikes onthe guards and the spring is not touched; These guards can be made of any suitable material and any'shape, provided they are high enough to protect the spring. I prefer to make them out of steel or iron, and cause them to perform the double function of guards to the spring and heads to the bolts which connect the spring to the finger.

I am aware that it is old to provide mail-bag cranes with swinging arms or fingers having their outer ends curved or hooked and connected thereto similarly curved springs, and I do not desire, therefore, to be understood as claiming broadly, such construction.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The pivoted finger or attachment A and guard-spring B, in combination with the guards b b, for the purpose described, substantially as herein shown.

JOHN W. BOGHFORD.

Witnesses:

F. O. JOHNSON, EUGENE M. HOWE. 

